


Winter Wings

by AlexVonHamel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-08 08:31:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12860754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexVonHamel/pseuds/AlexVonHamel
Summary: As winter falls the Garrison works to clear wall Maria of its, now trapped, titans. The remaining scouts join them but are forced to experience Shiganshina and Trost again only a bit of a twist.





	1. Eastern Calm

Two young soldiers sat slumped against the walls of the old stone hallway. The dusty and cracked tile floor beneath them echoing the footsteps of soldiers that had come before. Men and women who’d lost their lives in protection of the very land they sought to take back. Their sacrifices were not meaningless, but nevertheless the loss lingered and gave a heavy air to the entire stronghold.

The two soldiers refused to look at one another from their spots on opposing walls, but not for scorn, simply out of loss for words. They’d both seen the atrocity that had happened and had done their best but still the weight of the situation pressed heavy against their war-worn shoulders as they hung their heads. The one glanced to his right at the door that sat embedded in the wall just next to him, hearing something, before returning to his forlorn glare at the cold tile floor as silence once again took hold.

“There’s nothing more we could have done Jean.”

The other soldier sighed out as he carried the same expression of both fear and self-loathing. Jean scoffed.

“Yeah.”

He wasn’t at all convinced but still his companions words offered a glimmer of comfort that helped untie one of the many knots in his stomach. He offered a sigh and shook his head as he closed his eyes. Raven-black hair and porcelain skin.. a small smile played against his lips, but then those wretched, gritty teeth and the blood that would stain them. He winced at the though as the smile ran away from his face and he ground his teeth together, his eyes shutting even tighter.

‘There must have been something I could have done! Maybe if I was quicker I could have....’

“Jean! Connie!”

His eyes shot open at the voice. It was _him_. Of all the people he would hate to see in this particular moment _he_ sat at the top of the list. He looked away from the sound for a moment before he set his gaze to his left down the hall to see the eager green eyes he’d hated though grown to respect. He wore a look of concern on his face as he approached. He already knew. At least it would be better than having to tell him himself. Close behind the ticking time bomb of a man followed a shorter, scrawnier blonde man. One for whom Jean held in high regard despite his association.

“Jean, we heard that someone on the strike team was injured. Please, Who was it?”

They didn’t know, or at least they still had hope. Of course he would be the one to rip that light away from them. Crushing dreams was something he’d had a lot of experience in over the last few years, especially after crushing his own dreams of living in the interior.

Damn it all, he had a job to fulfill though. The sight of a half crushed man flashed through his mind before his full and happy face appeared to him, freckled and innocent. He’d tried to convince him he was a good leader.. but oh how wrong he was. Internally he scoffed but he turned his head to catch the eyes of the blue eyed man. He opened his mouth to speak the name but it caught in his throat.

“It was Mikasa.”

The answer came from the other wall. Connie spoke without lifting his head, full well knowing who the individuals that stood before them were. The concern that was once evident in both of the newcomers features was quickly replaced with a look of terror and desperation. Eren walked up to the door and attempted to make out what lay beyond the frosted glass window though to no avail. He looked down to Jean.

“Here?”

He asked though it came out more as a demand. Jean just nodded as Eren rapped on the door repeatedly until it was answered. A doctor opened the door looking at the young man with a slight amount of frustration. Two young men had attempted to enter earlier but were turned away.

“I’m afraid she can’t have any visitors currently. . .”

He made to continue on about some medical reason for the seclusion but Eren just pushed through the man only uttering; “I’m her family.” Leaving the three other men in the hallway.

The doctor continued to protest his entrance but once the door had shut behind him his eyes found the limp form laying on the bed and his body went completely still. She lay there, the covers pulled down so her torso was visible and her body was laid front down with her head turned to the side so he could see her face. Eren approached the bedside still ignoring the doctors pleas for him to leave.

Once he stood by the bed he could make out the wounds on her bare skin as her breathing forced her brittle bones to irregularly rise and fall. Deep bruises and gouges marred her back in the shape of teeth marks that looked as though it had nearly torn her in half. A few of the open wounds had been sewn closed by the doctor but still her porcelain skin was spotted with purple and yellow bruising along with splotches of blood that seeped out from the still-open wounds.

Eren absentmindedly reached his hand out to touch her skin, to feel the warmth of her flesh and give him the comfort of knowing she still clung to life but before his hand could reach her the doctor placed himself between them and grabbed his arm to hold him at bay. Eren finally acknowledged the man looking into his worried face. The man was not upset with him for entering, rather concerned for the well-being of his patient.

“Sir, I understand you’re worried but I must be allowed to work in peace for the time being. Please join the others outside and I will inform you when you may see her.”

Eren gritted his teeth and looked back down at her face. He had no desire to leave her side but he knew it would be for the best. Her face was expressionless but worn, as if she’d fought like hell just to stay alive, no doubt that she had. Her eyes were peacefully closed as if oblivious to all that had befallen her. His gaze trailed off to the right to see a bottle of an unknown liquid next to a syringe. Most likely some form of anesthetic to ease the pain. To the right of the medicine he found a familiar muffler hap-hazardously discarded on the night stand. He was taken aback and slightly annoyed at how carelessly it was handled being piled up upon itself without a worry. With no second thought he reached out and took the worn red scarf in his hand before nodding at the doctor and turning to leave.

As he headed for the door he stared down at the old garment, frayed and worn from years of wear.

‘Warm, isn’t it?’

His own words echoed in his head as he briefly closed his eyes remembering the look she gave him. Her heart had been broken but he’d already begun to mend it. Another memory flashed into his mind, only a few months ago. . .

‘Something like that. . .’

He stopped, one hand still on the door knob. He turned around looking back at her.

“I’ll wrap it as many times as I need to.”

He softly whispered to no one save for himself. With that he turned and left the room returning to the hall.

The door closed behind him as the three other men turned to look. His face was devoid of emotion as he seemed to stare off into space, his mind still dwelling on past memories. Jean’s eyes dropped to the red fabric woven between his fingers and his heart stopped.

“Is she...”

Eren was pulled from his stupor as he glanced down at his comrade quickly following his gaze to her trademark garment in his hand. Looking back to him he offered his answer quickly, realizing the conclusion Jean must have come to.

“No, he’s still working.”

Was all he could mutter before he sidestepped and slid down the wall on the other side of the door. All four sat against the walls in waiting, the shorter blonde haired man having taken a seat beside Connie.

“Jean, do you know what happened?”

Jeans eyes widened at the question for a moment before he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth once more. Her limp body lay in his arms as he recklessly swung from rooftop to rooftop in a frenzy to reach the depot. The image of the giant, terrifying maw of that mindless beast as it slowly shut it’s mouth around her only moments before that.

Jeans eyes snapped open, unwilling to continue reliving the nightmare.

“It was my fault.”

All three of the others immediately turned to look at him.

“If I’d been faster then maybe she wouldn’t have. . .”

“Hey! Jean I told you! There was nothing more we could have done! She ran off on her own!”

Jean buried his face in his hands as he tried anything to stop from sobbing. Eren’s eyes stayed glued to him with a strange softness and understanding that was normally absent when regarding the once arrogant trainee.

“Connie, what happened?”

Connie looked to Armin seated next to him before he looked down and recounted what had transpired.

“We were in charge of leading away the 10 meter titans that managed to enter the city and get past Levi and the others. It was going good and we only had a few come our way anyways but a smaller Titan came out of nowhere and got the drop on Mikasa. We took down the Titan but she got banged up on her right side.“

“Banged up?”

Connie nodded.

“Yeah. Her left reel disk got damaged I guess. We tried to get her to stay still so we could have a look but she stormed off. The container couldn’t take much more use and the disk exploded from the faulty pressure and messed up her left side. By the time we were able to catch up with her, she was. . .”

Connie stopped and covered his mouth as he remembered the sight. The teeth of the Titan clamped down around her upper body as it began to tug at her lower half. The terrifying sound of her screaming out in pain faintly rung in his ears.

“She was being eaten. . .”

Eren’s voice rang out with a complete absence of emotion as he had finally changed his gaze to focus on the old muffler in his hands. Connie and Armin looked to him.

“Yeah.”

Connie looked down and Armin followed.

He looked to his companion. Jean shuddered as he relived the memory and tears began to form in eyes.

“I’m sorry. . . If I’d been faster she never would have gotten hurt. . .”

His hands tightened their grip on his hair threatening to rip the brown strands out from his scalp. Connie’s eyes narrowed in frustration.

“Knock it off, Jean! Its not your fault she ran off! And besides you’re the one who killed that damn monster! I couldn’t even move!”

He looked back down at his feet as his anger turned inwardly. Jean just shook his head in his hands. He opened his mouth to say something more but a hand tightened around his right shoulder pulling him from his thoughts. All three of them turned to look at Eren who held the same blank look as earlier though streaks wet skin adorned his features to give away his true emotional state. Connie and Armin tensed up in anticipation of what their friend may do but what he said next none of them expected.

“Thank you. . . For saving her. . . .”

His words were kind but obviously choking back the sobs that begged to join his tears. His grip loosened as he withdrew his left hand to grasp again at the dirty red garment in his lap. The other three continued to look on at Eren for a time before they dropped their gaze to their own feet and their accompanying thoughts as they let the silence set in.

Jeans mind struggled to understand what had been said. Eren had thanked him. He wasn’t upset, he wasn’t angry, he was just thankful. Thankful she was still alive even if she’d ben hurt. Perhaps he had done all he could, perhaps saving her was enough. A few more of the knots within his stomach settled as he sighed.

Silence settled in once more between the quickly seasoned soldiers as the sun set over the eastern district of wall Maria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of backstory here but we’ll get there and I promise it’s fairly well thought out (as well as I can anyway). I hope you liked it so far and I’m hoping I can add to this again soon. Please let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	2. Departure

The soft thud of his footsteps echoed out into nothing as he slowly made his way across the old stone courtyard. It had been months since the fall of this very stronghold but still the faint smell of blood tainted the air bringing bitter memories to the survivors. Of course he’d been completely oblivious to what all had happened remembering only a few moments of his colossal rampage. It truly seemed to him a dream but now he knew all too well of the reality he lived in.

His father’s face flashed before his eyes as he blinked.

‘Another damn memory.’

His thoughts over the last few weeks had been filled with them. When they’d been locked up he’d recounted as much as he could to Armin. It drained him as his mind stretched thin to reach the distant memories of those who came before him. His father, Grisha and the man who must have been his namesake that held the attack Titan before him. Each iteration of life drew the memories thinner and they seemed to distort themselves but there were parts as clear as the day before him.

He blinked a few times as he began to watch the light play against the newly replaced glass windows high above him. He continued his gaze around before he found a pair of men walking up to him. One stood tall with a face that reflected the harsh realities he’d faced over the last few months. The other carried a similar look but also just seemed happy to be alive.

“Wow, you’re not even heading into danger and you still look like you’re about to fight. Do you ever relax?”

Eren raised an eyebrow inquisitively as he tried to figure out if he should be offended by the comment or not.

“I guess not. Looks like the tables turned. Now we’re getting shipped out to fight titans while you and Armin get to live the cushy life on the interior. Funny how fate seems to bite you in the ass.”

The taller man smirked as he finished speaking. Offended was definitely the correct emotion to feel.

“Come on Jean, you know if it were up to me I’d be out there with you!”

He shouted and Jean quickly brought his hands up in mock surrender.

“Easy Eren, I know. Doesn’t mean I won’t give you shit for it.”

Eren huffed as he loosened his shoulders and stance.

“Maybe a bit of relaxation behind the walls will do you some good.”

Eren sighed as he began to realize Jean’s sincerity. They still fought like there were fresh out of training but there was some level of mutual respect they’d been able to find.

“I’m honestly surprised Mikasa was the first one to volunteer for the strike team before we were all voluntold.”

Confusion struck his mind. It was strange that she’d have jumped at an opportunity that took her away from him. Perhaps she’d finally overcome her need to protect him at every turn. Her face flashed through his mind briefly as he blinked, her pale skin losing its glow in the dark light.

He thought a moment recalling their brief imprisonment. She’d been silent for most of it save for one comment he’d been able to hear her mutter to herself. “It can’t be true.” It’s placement in the long list of details he’d recounted was lost to him as was its context.

Another thought came to him. When they’d finally been released she had struggled to stand, as if she’d spent months in the prison with little to eat. When she’d crossed the threshold of her cell her pale skin had lost it’s shine and her body seemed more frail. She looked as though a single push and her body would collapse in on itself. Was she even fit to fight.

Eren looked up from his thoughts noticing two confused looks from his fellow classmates. Quickly he spoke to fill the awkward void of silence.

“Have either of you seen her recently?”

They both offered confused looks.

“You mean you don’t know?”

Jean wanted to goad him further but the sight of his concerned expression pushed him to save his sarcastic comments for later.

“I saw her a little while ago heading out to the training fields to practice her ODM gear. You can probably catch her finishing up if you head out now.”

Eren nodded his thanks quickly before turning to make his way to the forests just within Wall Rose. The trip was short though he walked at a brisk pace to ensure he’d catch her. The sun was beginning to set just as he arrived and sure enough there she was swinging between the trees with grace and elegance as she always had. Thousands of steps ahead of everyone else who’d been in their training group. She was in a class all of her own almost rivaling Captain Levi’s speed and technique.

She raced between the trees making great haste but ensuring that each shot of her hooks were sure and firm. Eren stood a few meters into the forest looking up as she rounded a trunk at the far end to begin her next lap. As she reached the 180 degree mark around the tree she shot her next hook to her left then to her right and back again.

As she neared the edge of the forest where he stood he couldn’t see her face, her scarf pulled up to cover her mouth and nose. Finally she seemed to recognize his presence and her focus faltered as her left hook missed. Her right hook was still reeling in and she hadn’t enough time to correct the mistake. She plummeted the 10 meter distance to the ground rolling a few meters more as her horizontal speed dissipated.

It took only a fraction of a second for his mind to push him to action. He rushed to her side but by the time he reached her she had already begun to pick herself up off the ground.

“Mikasa, are you alright?”

She nodded her head quickly as she dusted herself off. Eren relaxed slightly as she stood up straight. She stood slightly hunched forward as if trying to hide herself from view. She continued to inspect her clothes to ensure no dust remained and he noticed as she moved her shoulders the fabric of her jacket seemed to sag giving her a frail look.

“What are you doing here? I thought you and Armin were supposed to be preparing to leave.”

Eren snapped from his thoughts.

“Yeah, I just wanted to come check on you. You’ve been acting weird ever since we got back. It seemed like you didn’t eat a thing while we were in lockup.”

Mikasa straightened her posture as if recognizing his judgmental gaze before walking past Eren, noticeably avoiding eye contact.

“I’m fine.”

She said with no emotion. Eren turned and walked beside her as they made their way back to the inner Trost gate.

“Then what was that?”

He gestured to the spot where she’d fallen only moments ago. She began to walk a slight bit faster.

“I told you, I’m fine.”

A bit of irritation permeated her voice as she spoke, obviously annoyed at his pestering.

“Alright.”

He said with resignation as he hung his head a bit. Something was up but she wasn’t going to tell him now, that was for sure. Still the thought of her frail form came to him.

“So Jean told me you were the first to volunteer for the strike team.”

She nodded.

“I thought you would have wanted to stay behind.”

She turned her head slightly towards him as she considered his words.

“Why would you think that?”

Her words seemed to hold to a deeper question but he shrugged off the thought as he answered.

“Normally you’re hellbent on ’protecting’ me”

Mikasa lowered her head ever so slightly as she turned to face forward again.

“Oh..”

She shrugged her shoulders forward, shrinking her silhouette again as she tried to hide from his prying eyes.

“You don’t need me anymore, Eren. You haven’t for some time now.”

Her voice began to shake towards the end and a sad tone seemed to line the words making them heavy like a rain-soaked scarf. His eyes wandered to watch her expression but she pulled at the fabric around her throat to once again cover her face as it had fallen when she’d hit the ground earlier.

Her words took a second longer before they impacted him and he let his gaze focus on the dirt beneath them as they walked in silence. Finally Eren mustered his strength and reached out to take hold of her shoulder. They both stopped in their places as she waited for him to speak.

“Mikasa. . .”

He struggled to find the words. He hadn’t meant to offend her. He was appreciative of her caring actions though they were sometimes overbearing. Ever since she’d thanked him in the field that day, expecting to lose their lives, he’d found a new respect for everything she did on his behalf. She was his closest ally, someone who would stand by him no matter what decision he made.

Moments passed and Eren still could not produce a word to express his thoughts. Mikasa had turned her head to watch him out of the corner of her dim grey eyes. She sighed and closed her eyes before rolling her shoulder from his grip and continuing on her way.

“Come on, its getting dark.”

The rest of their walk was completely silent save for the sound of their boots on the hard ground as the sun set on the horizon.

————————————————————

“I appreciate your high regard for my abilities commander but I don’t know if I’m the best choice for this position. . .”

“And that is precisely why I want the leadership of this initiative handed to you. Team Leader Brzenska you possess an aptitude for understanding situations and knowing the proper time to pull back. This mission will depend upon that aptitude.”

Rico sighed as she resigned to the will of the man before her. He was right, she did possess higher than average situational awareness but still, she’d never had a charge so large before. She also held little desire to venture forth into Titan territory but with the almost complete eradication of the survey Corps there was no other option.

“You will be accompanied by a few of the remaining scouts. I believe you’ve already worked with Mikasa Ackerman, Yes?”

She perked up slightly at the name.

“Yes, sir. She’s one of the survivors?”

He nodded before taking a swig from his metal flask. After a loud gulp he continued.

“Yes. She, as well as 5 others will be joining your expedition. They will serve as your ‘strike team’ for when things get rough. Captain Levi will be leading them though Jean Kirstein has offered to help implement their long range scouting formation. I have no doubt that between all of your skills you will be successful.”

She nodded. Indeed the names listed certainly helped to put her at ease as she recognized at least two veteran soldiers amongst their ranks each known for their prowess in battle. Perhaps she could be successful after all.

“That is all Squad Leader. Now hop to, you have an expedition to prepare!”

To this she offered a heartfelt salute before turning to leave. As the door closed the commander leaned back in his chair and smirked. He’d managed to instill at least a little bit of confidence in the wary soldier and to that he deserved a drink. He drew circles with the bottom of his flask, sloshing it’s heavy liquid around before lifting the opening to his lips and taking another long drink.

With a pleased gasp of air he screwed the lid onto his whiskey and placed it on his desk. He stared at it for a long moment and then glanced around his office before he returned to looking at the shiny metallic vessel.

“How the hell have they not fired me yet.”

He said out loud before letting out a hearty laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So note, this will not all be in chronological order but it should be fairly easy to follow where I’m at in the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Departure Part II

“I don’t get it, why would we be setting out from Krolva and only heading around to Karanes district? What about the north?”

The shorter crew cut man spoke with confusion as the carriage swiftly glided across the dirt path. He looked to his right at the raven-haired stoic girl beside him but she just looked on at nothing in particular as if lost in thought. Next he moved his gaze leftward to meet the face of his tall, brown-haired classmate who responded.

“From what Rico said, the north has never seen titans. Since the hole was in the south they generally just grouped up around Trost.”

Having his answer he nodded and looked back down at the floor of the carriage before another thought popped into his head. He looked back to the man’s who’d answered him.

“So wait, Jean, does that mean that giant guillotine may have killed off most of the titans?”

Jean nodded.

“Using your head again Connie, nice.”

He let loose a short chuck before he continued.

“Yeah, that’s the hope anyways. She asked Levi and I to help devise a sort-of modified long-distance scouting formation focused on fighting titans instead of evading them. With that in mind, they should be thinned out enough that we can take them head on.”

Connie nodded in understanding. The next few minutes would pass in silence. Connie staring at the ground, contemplating the coming mission while Jean’s eyes stayed fixed on the person directly in front of him.

“You’ve been awfully quiet.”

He said matter of factly. The girl looked up to him for a moment before returning her gaze to the wooden floor. Jean furrowed his brow. It was very strange to see her without the green eyed suicidal maniac or without Armin for that matter. It was also unsettling how distracted she seemed to be, as if something held her mind away. He hunched forward onto his knees.

“Everything okay, Mikasa?”

This time she looked up and met his eyes. For a moment he swore he could see something broken inside her but then her cold exterior returned as she offered her answer.

“Yes.”

Her answer was simple, much like her usual comments and answers. Still this time her voice seemed less sure than it had before. Jeans eyes continued to stay fixated on her in concern and soon after she could feel Connie’s eyes upon her as well. She looked over to him and his expression quickly turned to fear as he withdrew, half expecting to be struck. When she did not move he relaxed a bit before speaking his own piece.

“You’ve seemed a lot more tense than normal Mikasa. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Frustration began to take hold of her features as she furrowed her brow. She looked back down to the old floorboards of the carriage and leaned forward on her knees to evade their prying eyes as she gave her another answer.

“I told you I’m fine.”

Jean sighed at the display. She could be so damn stubborn but perhaps that was part of what drew him to her.

“Hey..”

His voice caught her attention for a moment and she glanced up at him for a brief second to show that she was listening.

“Mikasa, we’re just trying to help. I know Eren and Armin aren’t coming on this one but..”

He didn’t even need to finish his sentence to realize her mood was heavily influenced by the two names he’d said. She turned her head to the right, away from, and pulled her red scarf up over her nose. A nervous tic he’d picked up on only recently. Something she did when she was either upset or embarrassed.

He offered a concerned smile to her but she kept her gaze away from him. Resigning to her will he slumped back on his bench and sighed heavily. It would be a long carriage ride to the eastern district.

Mikasa continued to look off into the distance beyond the carriage trying to find something to occupy her mind. The countryside would prove to be barren and devoid of much excitement but still there was a beauty there that reminded her of her home.. before everything that had happened.

The sound of another cart on the road caught her attention as it passed by going to opposite direction. She watched the lone man guide his horse, a hunting rifle at his side and wide brimmed hat covering his face. For a moment she could have sworn it was her father. She could feel the urge to reach out and call to him but her head kept the notion at bay.

“I can’t stand the smell out here. I wonder how anyone could live outside the city.”

She looked back over to Jean, his arms sprawled out across the back of the carriage as he slouched.

“Hey man! It’s not all bad! At least you get a little more freedom than any of the districts.”

Connie yelled at him. Jean laughed a moment before leaning forward, engaging his friend.

“Calm down Connie, I’m only joking. Trost was all I knew growing up. My family didn’t make many trips to the countryside.”

Connie relaxed a little, Mikasa listening to their conversation but keeping her eyes on the rolling hills beyond. She let the scarf fall away from her mouth as she listened.

“What was it like growing up out here?”

Connie looked to Jean for a moment before looking out at the fields and crops.

“Not all bad. Sure we didn’t have a lot of the same education and there’s a lot less people nearby but I could have told you everyone’s name in my village. . . Before. . .”

He looked down, a somber expression covering his features. He felt a hand grab his wrist and he looked up to Jean’s comforting smile as if to say he was sorry. Connie smiled back with as much heart as he could.

“There was a freedom to it. . .”

Both the men were taken aback by the words, both looking to her with confusion. Mikasa continued to look out at the horizon. Her parents had lived a short distance from Shiganshina in countryside. Her father a hunter for the nearby village.

“You could always watch the sunset without even realizing there were walls around you..”

The two relaxed slightly as she continued to talk. Connie nodding at her statement remembering the days when he’d sat at the edge of the village to watch the sun pass beyond the horizon. Jean looked on with intensity in his gaze, enthralled in her words. The only things they’d known of her past is what Eren and Armin had told them which had not been much.

“You grew up in the countryside?”

He said plainly, hoping to perpetuate her thoughts without ruining the moment. To his surprise she continued to speak.

“Yeah.. up until I was about 9. I lived in a small cottage outside of Shiganshina..”

Her glossy eyes didn’t find their way back to her classmates, instead continuously searching for something she’d never find.

“You never did tell us how all you guys met.”

The words brought back bitter memories. She closed her eyes briefly, recalling that night in the woods 6 years ago. She fought back tears as she thought about how she’d met Eren, how he’d saved her life and took her in when she’d had nowhere to go. She lowered her head squeezing her eyes shut.

Jean quickly realized the effect of his words. He had half a thought to reach out and hold her but he knew he’d be tossed out of the carriage with more force than when she’d thrown Reiner at Annie. Instead he decided words would be his best tool.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up anything..”

He trailed off not entirely knowing what else to say. Mikasa gave a heavy, uneven sigh before turning to look at Jean.

“It’s okay...”

She looked Jean in the eyes and then turned to look at Connie who sat forward, his elbows on his knees. She contemplated whether to tell them or not. She’d never told anyone before as Eren had been the one to tell Armin what had happened. Perhaps this one time, opening herself up would help her find some kind of solace.

“When I was 9, I. . . Lost. . . My parents. . .”

She spoke very slowly, boring holes into the wooden floor of the carriage with her gaze as she tried to find the words.

“Eren saved me from the men who took them and his father offered for me to stay with them.”

A part of her wanted to cry from recalling the terrible night while another part of her wanted to scream and run away in embarrassment that she’d told anyone. Her mind raced with what to do until she heard a kind voice from in front of her.

“I’m sorry, none of us ever knew.”

She looked up to see Jean’s heartfelt look upon her. She found herself astonished at his concern and care, half expecting to be laughed at.

“Yeah, that’s really rough, Mikasa. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

She felt a slight warmth begin to grow on her cheeks, surprised at the kindness of her comrades. She once again held her scarf close covering her mouth and hiding her face away from them.

“Thank you.”

Her words came out as a tiny whisper but both of the men heard it, baffled at what had enticed her to share such a thing. The rest of the ride to Krolva would be uneventful apart from a few side comments between Jean and Connie as they passed different landmarks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little short and probably a little sloppy. I’ve been extremely stressed out lately going through the home buying process so apologies for any misses or weirdness but please let me know what you think in the comments! I appreciate you reading and I hope you enjoy it!


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